1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to hair rollers.
2. Prior Art
A typical hair roller is comprised of a small tube, and an elastic cord attached to one end of the tube. After hair is wrapped around the roller, it is secured on the head by connecting the elastic cord to the other end of the tube. Perm solution is applied to the hair to create curls.
Most prior art rollers have a single elastic cord with a fixed end attached to one end of the tube, and a free end connectable to the other end of the tube. Examples of such rollers are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,712,310 to Parlagreco; U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,451 to Thompson; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,171 to Thibodeaux. The hair is secured to only one side of the tube by the single elastic cord, so that the hair can loosen. Although a roller with an elastic loop is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,423,252 to Nemeth, the fixed end of the loop is not centered on the axis of the tube, so that it can only be positioned on one side of the tube.
Almost all prior art hair rollers have perfectly circular cross sections that produce curls of the same shape. An exception is a hair roller disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,613 to Ho. It has a generally oval cross section, as shown in FIG. 8 of the patent to Ho. The cross section is comprised of two straight portions on the long sides connected to two straight portions on the short sides by curved portions. There are sharp corners at the junctions between the curved portions and the straight portions, particularly on the short sides. The straight portions and sharp corners produce curls with straight sections and sharp kinks that are unattractive. Further, the hair is retained by a single rigid clip on a short side of the roller, so that the hair can also loosen. The point where the hair is secured to the roller is limited by the position of the clip to the short side, so that the curls will always turn out in the same shape, and no variations are possible.
Accordingly, the objectives of the present hair roller are:
to produce hair curls of a novel shape;
to prevent the hair from loosening when wrapped around the roller;
to be able to make curls of different shapes by altering the attachment point of the hair on the
roller;
to prevent the hair from slipping off;
to help perm solution to soak into the hair for a perm;
to speed up drying of the hair for a wet set; and
to be very simple in construction.
Further objectives of the present invention will become apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
The present hair roller is comprised of a hollow tube with an elliptical cross section for producing hair curls of a novel shape. A fixed end of an elastic loop is attached to a first end of the tube. After hair is wrapped around the tube, the free end of the loop is stretched around the hair and across a second end of the tube to secure the hair. The opposite ends of the tube have scalloped edges that stabilize the loop in its selected radial position when stretched around the tube. The outside of the tube is textured for providing traction and preventing the hair from slipping. Holes are distributed around the outside of the tube to allow a perm solution to soak through the hair better for a perm, and to enable air circulation for drying the hair faster for a wet set.